Homeowners and residents are being asked to consider others in their community, especially those who are physically unable to act on warning messages, as part of their responsibility towards bushfire safety during Bushfire Action Week.

The Country Fire Service (CFS) is also encouraging people to plan ahead and take part in a Community Fire Safe meeting to develop strategies as a group and help make decisions about the most effective way to deal with a bushfire.

CFS State Coordinator Mark Thomason said by collectively making decisions as a group it will offer a productive way of developing a safety strategy to suit a community's lifestyle, environment and bushfire risk.

"Community Fire Safe is a program run by the CFS that encourages residents living in bushfire risk areas to form small groups and work together to prepare and protect their families, neighbours and properties from bushfires," he said.

"In these groups people learn about how bushfires behave and their potential to cause serious damage."

Mr Thomason said every household should have a Bushfire Survival Plan with members of a family including children to be included in the plan.

"Children, and people who are unable to act on CFS warning messages either before, during or after they've been issued, are advised to leave early, well before a bushfire threatens," he said.

The CFS also advises people to consider the following points as part of their planning:

- Nominating a house in their street most likely to survive a bushfire for others to shelter.- Developing phone trees to improve the chance of receiving an early warning during a bushfire.- Organising working bees to reduce fuel hazards.- Improving access between properties.- Becoming familiar with each other's fire fighting equipment.- Developing a neighbourhood resource list.

Bushfire Action Week runs from Sunday 27 October to Saturday 2 November with more details on the CFS website at www.cfs.sa.gov.au

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Further information: Contact the Bushfire Information Hotline on 1800 362 361, for hearing or speech impaired users, phone 1300 555 727 then ask for 1800 362 361 or teletype service TTY 133 677 then ask for 1800 362 361. Other options are available at National Relay Service. Or visit www.cfs.sa.gov.au